Windlass-operating mechanism.



C. S. ALDRICH.

WINDLASS OPERATING MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 26,1917.

1 37,443 Patented Aug. 21, 1917.

2 SHEETS$HEET L INVENTOR C. S. ALDRICH.

INDLA, SSSSSSSSSSSS EC HHHHH M.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.26, 1917. 1,237,443. Patented Aug, 21, 1917.

' 2 EEEEEEEEEEEE 2.

I I TED STATE PATENT OFFTQE.

CHESTER S. ALDRICH, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO' GRAY-ALDRICH COMPANY, INC., OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OFMASSAOHU- SETTS;

Application filed March 26, 1917. serial No. 157,521.

2 To all whom it may concern:

. a citizen of the United States, residing at.

Be it known that I, CHESTER S. ALDRICH,

' crating mechanism designed particularly,

although not exclusively, for application to a Windlass for raising the anchor of sailing and other vessels, and has immediate reference to means. for converting the present handoperated. Windlass into a power-operated-mechanism driven by thesmall engine usuallyfound at the present day installed on the majority of sailing vessels and placed beside the foremast'for hoisting sails, pumping the bilge water, loading-the cargo, and for other uses.

I 'The particular objectof the invention is to convert the well known wooden windlass of, sailing vessels into a power-operated indlass by mounting enema Windlass a gear or sprocket ring, bymeans of which the power of the engine'carried on the'vessel may be transmitted tosaid windlass for,

hoisting the anchor. v 3 With the ab ve as the principal objects in view, the invention consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described, pointed out in the appended claims and illustratedin the, accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a plan viewof the invention applied to the wooden Windlass of a sailing vessel and coupledup for operation with the winch. shaft at the. base of the foremast ofa vessel and operated by an, engine in the vieinit'y,not shown,

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view on the line 22 of Fig. 1 showingthe gear ring and split collar in elevation and themanner of its connection to the windlass,

Fig. 3 is adetail view of a portion of the gear, ring,

' Fig. dis a detail sectional view [on the line H of Fig.2,

Fig.5 is a similar view on theline 5+5 of thesamefigure.

, In the: drawings, 10 indicates the foremast of a vessel, at the baseof which oneach'side and alittle in advancethereofare two posts Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 21, 1917.

11 projecting upwardly from the deck of the vessel, to the forward sides of which posts are bolted bearings 12 in which a horizontal shaft 13 extending transversely of the vessel is journaled. Fixed on each end of the shaft is a winch or drum 1 1 for hauling the cables or ropes of the sails and doing otherheavy work of like kind. Extending around therear side of the mast and'separate therefromis a U-shaped pin rail 15,the ends of which are secured to the posts 11 which also carryon their rear sides bearings 16 for a horizontal counter or jack shaft 17. Theshaft" 17 extends beyond the post 11 at one end forsorne distance and turns in a bearing 18. Between said latter bearing and the. bearing 16 i the shaftcarries a sprocket wheel 19 looseon the shaft 17 and a frictionclutch- 20 of any conventional type by means of which the sprocket wheel 19 may be coupled to the shaft 17. The sprocket wheel 19 is driven by a sprocket chain 21 from an engine or other motor not shown usually mounted on the deck of the vessel near the mast 10. -'If desired, a second sprocket wheel 22 may be fixed on the shaft 17 from which a chain 28 may lead to the pump drive for pum ping the bilge water from the vessel.

Loosely mounted on the winch shaft 13 is a sprocket pinion 24: which may be coupled to the shaft for rotationtherewithby a jaw or other form of clutch 25. "The sprocket chain 26 driven by the pinion 24 ve Xtendstoward the windlass .27 and drives a sprocket wheel 28 fixed on ashort horizontal shaft 29 mounted in bearings 30 bolted to the deckof thev'essel. This shaft 29 also carries a spur p1ni0n 31 that meshes with a spur gear ring 32' secured on the windlass 27 turning'in bearings 33' bolted to bit posts 34 rising from the deck as shown. In front of the windlass isthepawl bit35 carrying pawls 36 that engage ratchet'teeth 37 surrounding the center of the windlass to prevent backwardmovement of the windlass. l The gear ring: 32 which forms an important feature of the present invention is contrived to permit of its readyapplicationto the ordinary wooden windlass, of sailing vessels which from long use appear to be the most satisfactory for sailing masters and crew and to enable these windlasses to be converted from hand-operateddevices to mands and on the inner face of the rim 38 r.

are a plurality of radially projecting lugs 40, through each of which is formed a radial elongated opening 41. These lugs 40, the number of which is immaterial, provided they are suflicient to stand the strain to which thegearing is subjected, have their outer faces in the same plane as one side of the gear ring as clearly shown in Fig. 4, said lugs being bolted to a collar 42 secured to the Windlass 27close to the ratchet teeth 37 which, in the present instance, are midway theends of the Windlass. The collar 42' is preferably made in two semi-circular parts each comprising a flat arcuatebase 43 from the center of which projects outwardly a flange orfin 44, from which in turn'project in radial direction fingers 45 that coincide with the lugs 40. on the gear ring and which have perforations therethrough for bolts 46 that also pass through the slots or opening 41 in the lugs 40, and by means of nuts 47 the gear ring is fastened to the split collar 42. Projecting inwardly in a radial direction from the split collar/42 are several lugs 48, two being shown in the drawing on each section of thesplit ring, these lugs assist in preventing rotation of the ring on the wind lass. The ends of the two, parts of the split collar 42 wherethey abut are provided with flanges or feet 49 through which arepassed bolts 50 andby means of nuts 51 screwed on thebolts, the sections of the split collar are drawn together and clamped tightly around the Windlass 27.

By means of the simple device just de scribed the ordinary woodenwindlass may be converted with small expense from a 4 hand-operated device to a power operated device, it being only necessary to mount the gear ring on the Windlass which maybe done in the following manner. The split I collar 42 is preferably made a little smaller in diameter than thatpart ofthe Windlass 27 upon which the ring is to be mounted. The Windlass is notched in any suitable manner to receive the lugs 48 so that when the two parts of the split ring are placed about the Windlass, the lugs 48 enter these notches and upon screwing the nuts 51 on the bolts 50, the two sections are drawn tightly around the Windlass and through their frictional contact therewith and the engagement of the lugs in their notches, the

collar is held tightly in place. The windlass bearings 33 are then disconnected and one end of the Windlass removed to permit the gear ring 32 to be placed thereover and applied to one side of the fingers 45 of the.

collar 42 and the bolts 46 inserted through the fingers and the lugs 40, and the nuts 47 tightened thereon. It is to be noted that the inner diameter of the rim 38 of the gear ring is slightly greater than the diameter of the outer ends of the fingers 45 so that after the bolts46 have been placed in position and the nuts partly tightened, the gear ring can be centered very readily by rotating the Windlass in its bearing. This has been found necessary because the method of applying the split collar does not always center this member, and therefore it is necessary that the gear ring be adj ustably mounted thereon so that it may, by slight movement in any direction, be made concentric with the axis of the Windlass;

The gear ring 32 which is shown and preferably describedfas having spur teeth may,-under certain conditions, be; provided with sprocket teeth so that the Windlass may be driven by sprocket gearing instead of spur gearlng.

What Iclaim is:

1. In a indlass operating'mechanism, a two part collar having radiating fingers and adapted to be connected around a Windlass, and a gear ring having slotted lugs coincident with saidcfingers and adapted to be adjustably secured thereto. v

2. In a Windlass operating mechanism a two part collar adapted to be clamped around a windlass',each of said parts having perforated radiating fingers, a removable gear ring surrounding said collar and its fingers and having radially projecting lugs for cooperating with said fingers each lug having a radiating slottherein, and'means for con necting said fingers and lugs to permit adjustment of the gear ring on thecollar.

I 3. In a Windlass operating mechanism, a two-part collar having inwardly projecting lugs, said collar adapted to be clamped around a Windlass and to beheld in engagement therewith by said lugs and by frictional engagement, cooperating flanges at the meeting ends of said collar members, and means for securing said members together, outwardly radiating fingers on said collar, a gear ring encircling said collar and 1 15 its fingers and having inwardly radiating lugs provided with slots, and means for connecting the fingers and lugs to permit adjustment'of the gear ring on thecollar.

4. Ina Windlass operating mechanism, a collar adapted to be removed or rigidly attached to a Windlass, and a gear ring'surrounding said collar and removably secured thereto. I i v 5. In a Windlass operating mechanism, a collar adapted to be rigidly but removably clamped about a Windlass, aremovablegear ring surrounding said collar, and 'means connecting saidcollar and gear ring adapted to permit adjustment between said parts.

6. In a Windlass operating mechanism, a two-part collar, said parts adapted to be clamped together around a Windlass and be held thereon by frictional contact, a removable gear ring surrounding said collar, and means for adjustably connecting said gear to the collar.

7. Means for converting a hand-operated windlass into a power-operated device comprising a Windlass having notches therein, a ratchet wheel mounted on the Windlass, a split collar adapted to embrace the windlass adjacent said ratchet wheel the several parts being bolted together, said collar section having lugs projecting inwardly to engage said notches in the Windlass, said split collar having fingers projecting radially therefrom, a gear ring surrounding the collar and also provided with fingers adapted to aline with the fingers on the collar and having elongated openings therein, and bolts for securing the gear ring to the collar.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHESTER S. ALDRICH. Witnesses:

WM. S. BARNES, PHOEBE PEARLMAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of IPatents, Washington, D. 0. 

